I spoke to a source with Major League Baseball this afternoon who tells me that MLB will investigate Curt Schilling’s claim on ESPN radio yesterday afternoon that a Boston Red Sox employee told him he should take PEDs when he was suffering from shoulder trouble in 2008.

The source did not say what, exactly, would be done, but it’s hard to see how any investigation of this claim does not begin with Schilling himself. Earlier today Schilling said he would not identify who told him to take PEDs in 2008. It will be interesting to see if he is any more forthcoming to the league.

… a source familiar with the situation said, “I’m sure if anyone said something like that, it wasn’t meant to be serious. I would bet my bottom dollar on that.”

Also this afternoon, Evan Drellich of MLB.com reported that team president/CEO Larry Lucchino said that the Boston Red Sox will look into the claim itself. As Schilling noted in his interview, however, the person is no longer employed by the Red Sox.

Baseball news has been dominated by drug stories for the past week and change. It looks like it will continue to be so dominated for a while longer. But it is worth observing that Major League Baseball seems as serious about investigating an allegation relating to team personnel and PEDs as it is in investigating players who allegedly used. Which is a good thing.

A report from the Baltimore Sun’s Dan Connolly suggests that free agent catcher Welington Castillo currently tops the Orioles’ list of potential backstop targets for the 2017 season. With Matt Wieters on the market, the Orioles lack a suitable platoon partner for Caleb Joseph behind the dish, and Connolly adds that the club has been discussing a multi-year deal with Castillo’s representatives since the Winter Meetings.

Castillo batted .264/.322/.423 with the Diamondbacks in 2016, racking up 14 home runs and driving in a career-high 68 RBI in 457 PA. His bat provides much of his upside, and Connolly quoted an anonymous National League scout who believes that the 29-year-old’s defensive profile has fallen short of his potential in recent years.

For better or worse, both the Orioles and Castillo appear far from locking in a deal for 2017. Both the Rays and Braves have expressed interest in the veteran catcher during the past week, while the Orioles are reportedly considering Wieters, Nick Hundley and Chris Iannetta as alternatives behind the plate.

Nava began the season on a one-year contract with the Angels, during which he slashed .235/.309/.303 through 136 PA in the first half of 2016. He was flipped to the Royals in late August for a player to be named later and saw the remainder of his year go down the drain on an .091 average through 12 PA in Anaheim. After getting the boot from the Angels’ 40-man roster in November, the 33-year-old outfielder elected free agency.

Nava is expected to compete for a bench role on the Phillies’ roster in the spring. As it currently stands, the club’s projected 2017 outfield features Howie Kendrick and Odubel Herrera, with precious little depth behind them. Nava’s bat is underwhelming, but at the very least he offers the Phillies a warm body in left field and a potential platoon partner for one of their younger options, a la Tyler Goeddel or Roman Quinn.